My Favorite Illustration Giving Talk

One purpose of the offering introduction, or giving talk, in a Christian worship service is for ongoing stewardship education. Those words may sound dry, but the giving talk doesn’t have to be. In fact, the more interesting a giving talk is, the more likely the listener is to hear the point and apply it to his own life. In this type of giving talk, illustrations are important because they draw the people in.

Here is my favorite illustration giving talk I’ve seen to date:

Illustration Giving Talk – Wind Farms

We’re about to receive our offering. Many of you have already given online and we appreciate that. While the rest of us prepare to give and our ushers prepare to receive, I like to show you a picture.

(Show picture of wind farm)

Wind farms like these now produce almost 3% of the world’s energy. Many of you have probably seen farms like these in your travels.

Have you ever wondered how windmills are able to capture the wind’s energy? Here’s a brief explanation: A wind turbine blade works like an airplane wing. Blowing air passes around both sides of the uniquely shaped blade. The uneven pressure around the blade then causes it to spin. The blades are attached to a shaft, which turns about 18 revolutions per minute. This doesn’t seem like much, however the shaft is connected to a series of gears, which increases the movement to about 1800 revolutions per minute. At that speed, a generator can produce a lot of electricity as long as the wind is consistent.

You may be thinking, “This is all very interesting, but what does that have to do with my offering?” Sometimes, people think that the amount they give can’t make much of a difference. Like the large shaft that only turns 18 times a minute, it seems like their gift is insignificant. However, God blesses the offerings given by people and allows the church to connect them with the gifts of others, multiplying it a thousand times over in various ways that then produce amazing results.

However, as with the wind and the windmill, the secret to this occurring is faithful and consistent giving.

Let’s pray.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing examples of giving talks which serve other purposes. I hope you will join me. In the meantime, if you have a favorite giving talk, feel free to comment or contact me personally.